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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. file — a line of people
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — in cards
  20. charge — in control
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — a price
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com